ISBN 9790006565894. 31 x 24.3 cm inches.
Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto op. 64 is a central work of the 19th century, which on the one hand is still connected to the classical style of a Beethoven, on the other hand also points the way to the Romantic ideal of expression of a Brahms. It has long been known that Mendelssohn performed the work in succession with three soloists: Ferdinand David, who worked closely with the composer during the creative process and premiered, Joseph Joachim, the Wunderkind, and Hubert Leonard, a young Belgian virtuoso we know little.
Correction flags for the Violin Concerto in E minor have long been considered lost; so it could be described as a small sensation, as recently as just to the solo violin part along with a letter from Mendelssohn to Leonard were found.
The letter informs us that the composer Leonard invited to his home in Frankfurt to get to know him. It was already known that Mendelssohn gave David proofs; but now we know that Leonard received just as much.
The recently discovered proofs attest to how Leonard played the concert with Mendelssohn that evening in February 1845. They contain strokes and fingerings and show how Leonard performed layer changes and where he used empty strings; they also include modified dynamics information as well as additional legato arcs.
We can assume that all this was done in Mendelssohn's mind. That the young violinist made a positive impression on Mendelssohn is confirmed in the composer's letters after the evening together; Mendelssohn praises Leonard's game very much and offers to support him in finding work in Germany.
Barenreiter's revised edition of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto - only the orchestral parts have remained unchanged - includes a separate booklet on performance practice. Publisher is the noted expert on romantic performance practice Clive Brown.
- New source situation by finding lost believed proof flags
- Revised Urtext edition
- With separate issue to the performance practice (Engl./Dt.).
